Hayrack-fastener



H. A. SMITH. .HAYBACK FASTENER- APPLICATION man SEPT- s. 1919.

Patented Dec. 20, 192 1.

lwrenfor mfZ/t A- ri PATENT HAYBACK-FASTENER.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 241 1921.,

Application filed September 8, 1919. Serial No. 322,272.

T all to 710% it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD A. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Dickinson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hayrack-Fastenors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hay rack fasteners especially adapted for securing hay racks to the bolsters of farm wagons.

An important object of this invention is to provide a hay rack fastener adapted to be secured to the bed of a hay rack for preventing the bolster from wearing into the bed of the hay rack as the result of relative movement of the bed of the hay rack and the bolster.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hay rack fastener which when applied will effectively serve to secure the hay rack in an adjusted position with relation to the bolster and will prevent the hay rack from partaking of longitudinal movement vith relation to the bolster.

it further object of this invention is to provide a hay rack fastener which is simple to apply, eilicient in use and of highly simplified construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. 7

in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hay rack fastener in use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the several elements of the invention detached.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a pref rred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 generally designates a farm wagon including a bed 6 and an axle 7 supported by wheels 8. A bolster 9 extends transversely of the wagon bed and is provided with bolster stakes 10 extending vertically from its ends.

A hay rack bed generally designated by the numeral 11 is mounted upon the bolster 9 and includes longitudinally extending side beams 12 and transversely extending cross beams 13, one of which appears in Fig. l.

The improved hay rack fastener herein disclosed is partly formed from a blank of sheet metal 14 having its intermediate portion bent to form a U-shaped bolster en gaging member 15. The lJ-shaped bolster engaging member 15 includes a bearing plate 16 adapted to be mounted upon the top of the bolster and depending sides 17 adapted to engage the sides of the bolster to prevent longitudinal movement of the device 71th relation to the bolster. Upwardly inclined arms 18 extend from the lower ends of the side members 17 and have their upper portions 19 curved downwardly and arranged in the horizontal plane of the bearing plate 15 for forming additional bearing surfaces for the hay rack bed. As illustrated in Fig. 1, a pair of U-bolts 20 have their bight portions 21 engaged with the under sides of the arms 18 inwardly of the curved portions of the same for secuiu ing the fastener to the hay rack bed. The downwardly curved terminals of the arms 18 serve to prevent the bight portions of the iJ-bolts from accidental disengagement with the arms 18. The shanks 22 of the U-bolts 20 extend on opposite sides of the longitudinal beams 12 and extend through attaching straps 23 mounted on the tops of the beams 12. Nuts 2 1 have threaded engagement with the shanks 22 of the U- bolts and are adapted to be tightened on the same for rigidly securing the device to the hay rack bed.

lVhen the device is applied to the bolster as outlined the depending sides of the U- shaped bolster engaging member 15 prevent longitudinal movement of the hay rack bed with relation to the wagon. As is obvious from Fig. 1, the hay rack bed may be adjusted to any desired position with relation to the bolster for displacing the'load as desired.

In arranging the device between the hay rack bed and the bolster all wearing between the hay rack bed and the bolster as the result of friction is eliminated.

In arranging the plate 15 in close contact with the under side of the bed rack, water is prevented from lodging between the device and the hay rack with the result that the hay rack is prevented from rotting at its point of connection with the bolster.

"With reference to the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that the hay rack fastener herein disclosed may be Inc conveniently applied and serves to absolutely secure the hay rack in an adjusted position with relation to the bed rack whereby all relative movement between the hay rack and the wagon is eliminated.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same and that such minor changes may be made as will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

Having'thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described including a sheet metal inverted U-shaped member upwardly inclined arms extending from the terminals of the sides of said member and having their upper extremities curved outwardly and downwardly, and clamping members seating in the concavities of said curved extremities;

2. The combination with awagon bolster, and a hay rack superimposed thereon, of an inverted U-shaped member having an intermediate portion extending across the top of the bolster and depending sides engaging the sides of the bolster, the hay rack having a beam resting directly on the intermediate portion of the said member, inclined arms extending upwardly and outwardly from the lower ends of the sides of said member, the terminals of said arms being curved downwardly and outwardly, U- bolts engaging beneath the terminals of the arms in the bases of the curves thereof and passing upwardly at the sides of the hay rack, clamping plates disposed transversely over the rack beam and fitting over the extremities of the U-bolts, and nuts fitted on the ends of the U-bolts and turned home against said plates.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HOWARD A. SMITH. [1,. s.] 

